UK key facts

About the UK: The United Kingdom consists of England, Wales, Scotland (which together make up Great Britain) and Northern Ireland.

Capital cities: The capital city of the UK is London, which is also the capital of England. For Wales the capital is Cardiff, for Scotland it is Edinburgh, and for Northern Ireland it is Belfast.

Population: The population of the UK is estimated to be around 63 million (England: 53 million, Scotland: 5.3 million, Wales: 3 million, Northern Ireland: 1.8 million).

Land area: The UK is close to 95,000 square miles (245,000 square kilometres), stretching from the Shetland Islands off the north coast of Scotland, down to the Isles of Scilly in south west England, and across the sea to Northern Ireland.

Countryside: The UK’s long coastline is around 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometres). The geography ranges from green meadows and woodland to rugged moorland and mountains. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis in Scotland at just over 1,340 metres.

Religion: The main religion in the UK is Christianity. However, the UK is a multi-faith society where other religions are widely welcomed and accepted.

Government: The United Kingdom is a parliamentary democracy – this means the government is elected by the people. There is a general election once every five years. The Prime Minister leads the government with the support of the cabinet and ministers. The UK is a member of the European Union.

As well as the central UK government, there are three ‘devolved administrations’ for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. They are responsible for many domestic policy issues such as health, education, culture, the environment and transport. You can find out more at the gov.uk website.

The royal family: The Queen is Head of State in the United Kingdom. As a constitutional monarch, Her Majesty does not 'rule' the country, but the royal family fulfils important ceremonial and formal roles with respect to Government. Find out more at www.royal.gov.uk.

Law: There may be some differences between the law in your country and the law in the UK. For example, in the UK:

You must not use or carry any illegal drugs, including cannabis, ecstasy, LSD or amphetamines.

It is illegal to carry self-defence CS gas sprays, guns or stun guns. There are also very strict laws and penalties around carrying knives.

You must be aged 18 or over to buy tobacco and alcohol.

You should never buy property that you think might be stolen, no matter how tempting it seems.

It is illegal to drive a car without the correct driving licence and without car insurance. Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a serious offence. Find out more in this article: Travel in the UK